Kealy ‘fighting for a fair deal’

Member for Lowan Emma Kealy has used her first State Parliament address of the year to call on the government to award regional areas a ‘fair share’ of funding.

Ms Kealy said it was her role, in opposition, to ‘hold the government to account’ and highlighted healthcare, roads, childcare, sports, public transport and the gas monopoly in the electorate among issues requiring urgent need of funding support.

Ms Kealy, also The Nationals deputy leader, said members of the Lowan community felt ‘extremely let down’ with the poor quality of rural roads.

“We are seeing lives lost on our roads because there is no action – because there is not a specific fund for our local councils to dip into to help them manage their roads rather than having to lift council rates over and over again,” she said.

“Our schools are also being left to decline and our hospitals urgently need upgrades, but again we are seeing more and more funding cuts and money shifted from our smallest communities into larger regional centres, making it even harder to attract medical professionals – more nurses, more allied health professionals – to our region.”

Ms Kealy also drew attention to election commitment projects The Nationals had pledged during the 2022 State Election campaign.

This included education projects, calling for funding assistance for St Patrick’s Catholic Primary School in Stawell, St Brigid’s College in Horsham, Kaniva College and Casterton Primary School.

Ms Kealy also discussed the needs of childcare, including increased infrastructure and access to training for more people to work in the sector; and healthcare upgrades to a number of facilities including Willaura Hospital.

The Nationals made election pledges of various funding commitments to Horsham City Oval, Anzac Park in Warracknabeal, tennis courts at Horsham’s Coughlin Park; bowling clubs at Dimboola and Balmoral and upgrades to Stawell’s Central Park and Nhill’s Davis Park.

An upgrade of the Horsham aerodrome to receive domestic flights, an investigation into the return of passenger rail to Horsham and Hamilton, developing the Pomonal tunnel track in the Grampians National Park to a walking track, construction of the Natimuk weir, unlocking of the gas monopoly in the region, and completion of the duplication of the Western Highway were among the Nationals’ priority regional development projects.

Ms Kealy said she would work ‘in good faith’ with the government to continue to call for investment in the projects.

She is representing the Lowan electorate for a third term.

“There is a lot we want to achieve over the next four years,” she said.

“I will stand side-by-side with my community to make sure we do deliver for regional Victoria and I will give local people a strong voice in this place.

“Every single day over the coming four years I will fight for a fair deal for my electorate and make sure that local people’s voices are heard.”